Campaign to End the Mistreatment of Baby Cows (Veal)

All farm animals suffer on factory farms but the plight of veal calves is especially horrible. Veal calves suffer tremendously for most of the eighteen to twenty weeks of their short lives. They are separated from their mothers at birth and confined their entire lives, commonly in stalls so small they are not even able to turn around. The current structure of veal and associated industries promotes extreme suffering. The calves are denied their mother’s milk, are kept in darkness, and are chronically sick with a range of disorders from respiratory and intestinal diseases to anemia. For more information about the cruel treatment of baby calves raised for veal, read the following report from the HSUS.

The treatment of veal cows is a far cry from Jewish values and violates the principle of tza’ar baalei chaim, not causing harm to animals, and numerous rabbis have spoken against the horrific practice.

"In a modern world where animals who share with humans the capacity to feel pain are subjected to normative industrial conditions that are cruel, torturous and barbaric, the commitment to abstain from consumption of veal is a step in Judaism's re-claiming its leadership in matters of responsible human interactions with animals." - Rabbi Adam Frank

"Our people have always recognized that what is legal is not always what is moral. Eating veal--male calves that have been systematically pulled away from their mothers within days of birth, that have been forced to live their brief lives confined in torturous, minuscule spaces and waiting for their deaths--is anything but moral. The Messianic era cannot come when we continuously, unconsciously, consume animals suffering cruel treatment; by addressing the ethical concerns of veal consumption in our community, we prepare ourselves for the day when 'the wolf and the lamb will live together' (Isa. 11:6)." - Rabbi Jonathan Klein

"As individuals and as a community we are always working to lessen suffering and promote a more just and sustainable world, and to truly achieve this goal we must promote compassion for all life. Veal is symbolic of the worst of how we treat animals. The pain and suffering which is inherent in the raising and killing of these young animals cannot be justified by our Jewish values or even the most basic values of compassion for life. We cannot as organizations of faith serve veal with a clear conscience, especially when so many other healthier and less cruel options exist." - Rabbi Boris Dolin

SHAMAYIM: Jewish Animal Advocacy is a Jewish animal welfare organization that educates leaders, trains advocates, and leads campaigns for the ethical treatment of animals. Contact us at info@shamayimvaretz.org